2025 NHL Preview: Pacific Division

Welcome to Caleb's 2025 NHL preview! Today we are focusing on the Pacific Division, let's dive in!

 

  1. San Jose Sharks


This team's time is coming. I promise. It isn't this year, but it's coming. They may be slightly more competitive this season, with another year of growth of Celebrini, Smith, Eklund, and crew, and the addition of Misa, the future is so bright. So incredibly bright. And to think, they might even add McKenna at the end of this year. Crazy. Askarov looks to finally establish himself as a starter as well, so there are no shortage of storylines to follow around this team. But they are going to be pretty terrible. So get ready for another lottery pick, San Jose! But take comfort, there are some Cups in your future. 

 

San Jose to Win Division: +30000

One Player Future: Michael Misa Calder Trophy +1600



  1. Calgary Flames

 

I wont lie, this is maybe more of a hope then actual thought. But if the Flames are really serious about being a contending team when that new arena opens in 2 years, then they need to aim for the bottom. If they really get serious, they could be here. Dustin Wolf is still the reason they aren't worse then San Jose, but if they begin another sell off of players, like Kadri, Andersson, Coleman, hell even Weegar, then this team can plummet. I wont say they are a bottom 5 team in the league, cause they just are not. They have some real talent up front, a rookie stud in Parekh and a goalie that looks poised to win a couple Vezinas in his career. But if they ship off the Vets, they can be in the lottery and who knows. Maybe they get lucky and get the organization's first ever 1st overall pick. That would be my ideal season if I was a Flames fan. 

 

Calgary to Win Division: +5000

One Player Future: Zayne Parekh Calder +2500



  1. Seattle Kraken

 

I do feel like this team is not as bad as it looked last year. They have some good pieces, nothing that really blows you away but enough to win a few games and hover around .500. Now that’s probably not what any Seattle fan or player wants, but damn it, it’s what they are going to get. McCann might score 40 again, and Dunn will keep being one of the best d men in the game. But there just isn't much else here. Maybe this is the year Beniers and Wright take big steps and become true stars in the NHL but aside from that, what else are they going to do. They have to bank on that, and the odds aren't very good. I think if you line up Calgary and Seattle, Calgary is the better team. But I am really assuming Calgary will sell at this deadline and drop a few spots. Who knows maybe Seattle does the same, but I doubt it. 

Seattle to Win Division: +10000

One Player Future: Jared McCann 30+ goals +190



  1. Anaheim Ducks

 

I am high on this team. I think if the Central wasn't so strong, they would be a wild card team. But as it stands, this team will miss the playoffs. But a HUGE year of growth is here for them. I made a post a little bit ago about how I think this team surprises and pushes for a playoff spot. They have a young core that needs to take another step, but they also added in some vets this year that can really actually help them take a step. This team was last in the league on the powerplay, clicking on 11.8% of opportunities. That's a full 18 percentage points lower than first place. I cant figure out the math on it, but if they clicked in at league average on the powerplay, they would have added another 22 goals roughly. That is a massive difference. Now add in Chris Kreider in front of the net, and Granlund pitching in a few, there is a chance this is a playoff team. Also, getting McTavish signed, and extending Lacombe make sure this team is together. I love it.

 

Anaheim to Win Division: +6000

One Player Future: Leo Carlsson 60+ points +195



  1. Los Angeles Kings

 

So I will say I see a lot of Kings regression posts lately, and I agree with them. But this is still likely a playoff team. Likely. Things could go wrong and they slip just on the outside but they should be hanging around 3rd in the division or a wild card spot all year. The main core is still there so there isn't that much reason to think they will slide, but any d core with Cody Ceci in it is one I want no part of. I also don’t know why, but I just don’t trust Darcy Kuemper. Once again, no clue why, I know he was Vezina caliber last year I just really do not trust him again. But, the core remains, and this remains a pretty good hockey team. Kempe could score 40, Brandt Clarke should take another step forward, so there are solid pieces. But I don't see a big run here at all.

 

LA to Win Division: +480

One Player Future: Adrian Kempe 40+ goals +490



  1. Vancouver Canucks

 

Yep I’ll say it. Bounce back team right here. They were mired in locker room trash, and even on ice issues as well. Thatcher Demko appears to be fully healthy for the first time in a while, and he should have a fire under him to try and make a statement and potentially crack the US Olympic roster. Boeser re-signed which was massive and somewhat unexpected. I, like everyone else, thought he would be on his way to Minnesota. The Pettersson problem still remains, that being he hasn’t really been a good hockey player in the last couple of years. But JT Miller is gone, maybe that frees him up and he becomes the 100 point player he can be. Quinn Hughes is still Quinn Hughes, and for now is still a Canuck. And also the main reason I think the Canucks will make the playoffs. 

 

Vancouver to Win Division: +1500

One Player Future: Quinn Hughes Norris Trophy +210 



  1. Edmonton Oilers

 

I don’t really need to say much about this team. Connor McDavid has re-signed, for two years, at a SUPER team friendly price. So they have no more excuses. They’ve got 2 years to get the job done, or he is out. I guess 3 if you count this season. So that’s out there on the table. Get it done. They just added Connor Ingram to help shore up the crease. I don’t think that’s really an upgrade over Pickard, but it’s insurance at the very least. And once again they tampered with the fringes, adding Mangiapane and training for Ike Howard. I don’t know if he’s quite ready yet to make the jump, though he did have some flashes in preseason play. The key here is the McDavid extension, and the freedom this gives them for next year's free agency to hopefully add that missing piece they’ve needed for so long. And maybe, just maybe, finally bring a Cup back to the City of Champions. 

 

Edmonton to Win Division: +160

One Player Future: Leon Draisaitl 120+ points +200



  1. Las Vegas Golden Knights

 

No one else has the offseason Vegas had. Free agency didn't have the big names it usually has, and the trade market was pretty dry. Cue trading for (signing) Mitch Marner. The biggest move of the summer, and of course it was Vegas. I mean there was no other option. Marner wasn’t going anywhere but here in my mind. Vegas offered security, a better environment, and at least for one year, no talk of playoff failure. It will be put aside. But he will still need to prove it at the biggest moments and he will get every opportunity once again to do so. Vegas should be the class of the division, if not the conference, maybe the league. The only worry here is on the back end. Petro is out for the season likely, and they dealt Hague to Nashville. Not that he was a star, but a really solid piece on their back end. They still have a solid core, but it will be tested. And as seen in last year's playoffs, they can be porous. Adin Hill also needs to be better come playoff time. Still, they win the division. 

 

Vegas to Win Division: +170

One Player Future: Eichel 40+ goals +490